I was referred to Mayfield by my NP after having a MRI on my neck for narrowing vertebrae causing the nerves to trigger pain on the left side of head, neck and down my left arm.
Treatment plan was to have nerve blocks in neck and if those worked nerve ablations. Lindsay Brian (Crestview Hills, KY office) explained to my husband and I the ablations would help to elevate my head, neck, and arm pain. Sounded like a plan.
I was called by scheduling for treatment to be done at the Edwards Rd, Cinti, OH office. Upon arrival I was told to watch a video for steroid injections. What???? thought I was getting a nerve block.....
No I was told this procedure has to happen first.
Received injections, zero relief. About a week later, my forehead and my checks were covered in hives. by the second week my whole neck and chest were covering in itchy hives.
Day of follow-up apt. hives are still very angry and showed no signs of going away. My apt. was with Gina Malott (Crest Hills, KY office). While her attitude and lack of caring could have been overlooked, she was less then helpful. I asked if she could at least send a prescription to help with the hives. She abruptly told me "NO, call you GP. The hives were not caused by shots." I told her I Googled it and YES it can have a prolonged effect. She also to me that the nerve blocks and ablations could not be done if I'm allergic to the steroid used and no other steroid could be used. Also said ablations would not help the pain in my head and arm. AGAIN, WHAT???
I didn't even get to my car when the $750.00 bill appeared on my phone. I feel this whole experience was a bust. I feel this whole experience as a hustle. Not only am I receiving this bill, I had to go to dermatologist to get medication for the hives. And by the way, she confirmed hives could appear weeks later.
So my suggestion to future patients, do better research than I did. I thought I would be seeing a well respected Dr. Instead I got this.
So my suggestion to Mayfield is to train all NPs' and FNPs' to follow the same guidelines with what to tell patients. And while at, teach them how to tone down the arrogant attitudes.
Simple search reveled this answer:
Yes, it is possible to develop hives on your face and neck two weeks after a steroid shot, likely due to a delayed allergic reaction, either to the corticosteroid itself or the anesthetic used, as mentioned on this Swiss Medical Weekly page. While many side effects are immediate, delayed hypersensitivity reactions can occur, say this article from Johns Hopkins Medicine and this article from UMass Memorial Health. Contact your doctor immediately to evaluate this reaction, especially if you have swelling, itching, or difficulty breathing, suggest the NHS and this article from Verywell Health.
nhs.uk
nhs.uk
+4
Why It Can Happen: Although steroids are designed to reduce inflammation, the body can sometimes experience a delayed (Type IV) immune reaction, where immune cells (T cells) react to the medication.
Other Potential Causes: While rare, some individuals have an allergic reaction to the preservatives or anesthetics (like lidocaine) sometimes added to the injection, say this article from Arthritis-health. read more